Agricultural apparatus.



G. G. G. GROUPE.

AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1913. 1 1 1 3,43 1 Patented Oct. 13, 1914. aSHEETS.SHEET.1.

C. G. G. GROUPE.

' AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION I'ILED NOV. s, 1913.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914,

Elwuewtoz C. GGGROUPE a sums-SHEET a.

' 0. G. G.- GRO'UPE. AGRICULTURAL. APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1913.

1,1 13,431. Patented 0015.13, 1914-.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

gwue/wtoz C. G 6650 WE whine-AM a OHAlB/LES GEORGE GORDON GROUPE, OFJERSEY SHORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

'AGnIcUIJ'rURAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'lqovemoer 8, 1913. Serial No. 799,956.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

- To all whom it-may concern: v Be it known that I, CHARLES GEORGE Gon-DoNGnonPE, a citizen of the United States,

residing at ,JerseyShore, in the county of Lycoming and State ofPennsylvania,'l1ave invented certainnew and useful Improvements inAgricultural Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in agriculturalapparatus and has relation more particularly to a device of this generalcharacter which .is motor driven and an object of the invention is toprovide a device of this general character having means of a novel .andimproved character whereby the advance of the, device may beautomatically stopped should undue obstruction be encountered;

. The invention also has for its may be readily and convenientlycontrolled.

The'invention consists in the details oftain important advantages areattained and the device is'rendered simpler, less expensive andotherwlse more convenientand ad vantageous for use, all as will behereinaftermore fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theappended claim.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in top plan of an agriculturalmachine constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;Fig. 2 is .a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a View in front elevation "of the device, as shown in Fig.1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in top plan andpartlyin section illustrating certain details of the steering mechanismfor the forward wheels of the do vice, as herein set forth;--Fig. 5.isa. fragmental-y view, in perspective, of certain details of thepropelling means, as herein embodied and Fig; 6 is a fragmentary view inelevation illustrating a certain detail of the invention, as herein setforth.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a frame of anysuitable ccnobject to .stub shaft 12 on which is loosely mounted providea device of this general character whereby the direction of travel ofthesamefigurationand dimensions having pivotally supported for swingingmovement in substantially a horizontal plane and adjacent the forwardend thereof, the knuckles .2 provided with the stub shafts 4 on whichthe traction wheels 5.5,are adapted to be loosely mounted. Each: of theknuckles 2 is pro-' vided with a rearwardly directed arm or extension66, such arms or extensions 6 are operativelyconnected by the drag linkor arm 7 whereby such knuckles 2.2 may be caused to move upon theirpivots in unison. and in the same general directions.

- The frame 1 is providedwith a rear extension 8 having afiordedat itsOlltGIbXtIBIIlIEV a bearing 9 in which is mounted the verti-- callydirected shaft 10 and on which is loosely mounted for movement in ahorizontal plane a knuckle .11 provided with the the rear supporting ortraction wheel-14.

,The knuckle l1 is'provided'with an exten- --s1on or arm 15 to which ispivotally secured an end portion of a linked member 16 which 15, lntur'n, pivotally engaged with a rock arm 17 laterally directed from thevertically disposed rock shaft 18 suitably mounted in the frame 1. Theupperend portion of the rock shaft 18 has aflixed thereto a worm 19adapted to mesh with the worm shaft 20 suitably mounted for axialmovement upon the frame 1 and preferably disposed substantiallyhorizontal. The shaft 20 is also in mesh with a second worm 21 fixed tothe upper extremity of a second vertical rock shaft 22 suitably mountedin the frame 1 and such shaft 22 is provided with a forwardly directedrock arm 23 in pivotalengagementwith a link 24 which, in turn, is inpivotal engagement with an arm 'or'extension 6 of one of the knuckles 2,hereinbefore referred to. .1 ,0 5

It is thought to be obvious that upon proper rotation of the shaft 20,the direction of travel of my improved apparatus can be readily andconveniently {controlled and while any means may be employed forimparting the requisite axial movement to such shaft 20, I find it ofadvantage to employthe arrangement disclosed in the accompanying fdrawings and wherein such shaft 20 intermediate 1ts length 1s providedwith a worm 25 adapted to coact with a worm 26 carried. by thelowerex-tremity of an upwardly directed steeping shaft 27 adapted to bemawheels 5.

nipulated through the conventional hand wheel, as indicated bydottedlines at 28 in Fi 1'.

%rom the foregoing description relative to thegt'steering means for myimproved agricultural apparatus, it will be seen that all of thesupporting or traction wheels are manipulated whereby a more convenientand expeditious control of the travel of the ap-' 'paratus may be had.

As herein disclosed, I have extending longitudinally of the framel andthe extension 8 thereof, the driven shaft 29 mounted in suitablebearings 30 projecting upwardly of be hereinafter more particularly setforth;

As herein disclosed, the forward extremity of the shaft 29 isoperatively connected through the medium of the gears 35 with the shaft36 disposed transversely of the frame 1 adjacent the forward end thereofand which shaft has interposed therein" a differential, as indicated at37, of any conventional type for purposes which are believed to beself-evident, and as the difierential in its details forms no part of myinven tion it is not believed that a further thereof is necessaryherein;

Each of the forward supporting or traction wheels 5 is provided with abeveled gear 38 concentric with the axis thereof and which is in meshwith a second beveled gear 39 fixed to a vertically disposed shaft 40projecting above the frame 1, such projected portion of the shaft 40being operatively connected with the transverse shaft 36 through themedium of the gearing 41, whereby it will be seen that the driven shaft29 x will be caused to properly rotate the The rear supporting ortraction wheel 14 is also adapted to be positively driven and for thatpurpose such wheel is provided with the beveled gear 42 disposedconcentric with the axis thereof. and in mesh with the beveled gear-43carried by the vertical shaft 10, Y

the upper extremity of which shaft is op- -eratively connected with thedriven shaft length having their intermediate portions slotted, as at46,v to accommodate the upper extremities of the standards 47 pivotallydetail held thereto through the medium of the bolts 48, the lowerextremities ofsuch stems being adapted to have suitably secured theretothrough the medium of laterally directed projections 56 carried by thestandard and which are adapted to abut the under surface of the beam 45,such contact being maintained through the medium, of the arm 57pivotally secured to the @beam adjacent they lower end thereof anddirected through a suitable passageway-"58 adjacent the rear end of thebeam and through which such arm is adapted to loosely travel.Intermediate its length such arm 57 is provided, with an abutment 59 andinterposed between such abutment 59 and the under surface of the rearextremity of the beam is an expansible member 60, herein shown as 'acoil spring embracing the arm 57, possessing sufficient strain astomaintain the standard'47. under normal conditions in its verticalposition. In order to regulate the tension of the expansible member 60the abutment 59 may be lOt.

in threaded engagement with the arm 57 whereby the abutment may beadjusted endwisc of the arm, as will be readily appreciated by thoseskilled in the art to which my present invention appertains.

The reciprocable movement of the rod 53 serves'to elevate the beam, whenrequired, or to force the share'within the soil especially when the soilis of such a character as to offer undue resistance and, as hereindisclosed, the requisite recurrent movement of the rod 53 iscreated bythe proper action of compressed air upon the piston-54 and, ashere indisclosed, the heads of the cylinder 55, re

in communication with a main supply 11- duit 61 through the branchconduits 62, the flow of the fluid through such branches being undercontrol of the'three-way valve 63 of any conventional type. Iii view ofthe general understandingof the operation of a three-Way valve it is notbelieved that'a detailed description or illustration need be given. Themain conduit 61 is in communication with a storage or supply tank 64suitably mounted on the frame 1 and this tank 64 is in communicationwith the conduit 65 leading. from a conventional air compressor 66mounted on the frame 1 and operatively connected, as indicated at 67,withthe motor 33. r

- with the advance .ofmy improved apparatus I have also found inpractice that it is particularly advantageous *to provide a meanswhereby the downward movement imparted to the beam 45 by the rod 53 maybe limited and, as herein disclosed, I accomplish this result throughthe medium of the linked member 68 suitably-secured to the beam 45 andadapted to cooperate with the hook member 69, depending from theframe 1. By this arrangement it is thought to be obvious that the limitof downward movement of the beam-45 may be varied in order to meet therequirements of practice.

It often occurs in operation that a share 49 may encounter anobstruction capable of offering such resistance as will result either ina breaking of such share or in interfering which would tend to injurethe same. In order to guard against this contingency I have suitablysecured, as at 70, to the forward face of the standard "45 aflexiblemember 71 which is also in engagement with a rock arm (72projecting laterally from a shaft 73 suitably mounted in the frame 1 andextending transversely thereacross and i-nclose proximity to the ,motor33. The

- shaft 73 isalso provided with a rock arm 74 positioned incloseproximity to the clutch member 34 which is adapted to projectthrough thebifurcated extremity 75 of a bell lever 76 suitably pivotedto the frame 1 while the opposite extremity of such lever '7 6terminates in a fork 77- adapted to partially embrace the clutchmember34c and provided with "inwardly directed fingers 78' adapted to extendwithin the annular groove 79 afforded in such clutchv member 34' wherebyit will be readily perceived that the movement imparted to the shaft 7 3through the rear travel of the standard 7 will result in a disengagementof the clutch member 34 from the adj acent gear of the connection 31whereby it will be perceived that the travel of the apparatus will besubstantially instantaneously stopped. j

In order to maintain the requisite tension on the fiexibleimember 71 sothat tlrere will be no resultant lost motion I providetlie shaft 73, asherein disclosed,.with the arm 80 to which is suitablysecured,an,extremity of a retractible spring 81 the, opposite extremityof which is suitably anchored, as at 82, to the frame 1 at a point belowthe arm 80, the resultant action of the spring8l being, it is thought,clearly apparent.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that anagricultural apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention is ofan extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and isparticularly well adapted for use by reason of the effective control ofits traveland of J the implements carried thereby and it will also beobvious that my invention is .susceptible of some change andmodification without material departure from the princonnections betweenthe motor and the wheel," such connections including a clutch mechanism,an element movably earned by the frame, a rock shaft carried by theframe,

a bell lever co-acting with the clutch mechanism for throwing the sameinto and out of operative adjustment, an arm carried by the rock shaftoperatively engaged with the bell lever, a' flexible connection betweenthe for, a motor carried By the frame, operative movable element and therock shaft, whereby the movement of the rock shaft is under control ofthe movable element, a second arm carried by the rock shaft, anda retractible memberpivotally engaged wlth A the second arm and to the frameat a point below the rock shaft whereby the requisite T tension ismaintained on the flexible connection.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES eroaer GORDON eaotrr.

Witnesses: 7 t

D. W. GALL FREDERICK S. S'rn'r.

